Binay vows to raise public health spending

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Jejomar Binay vowed to increase public health spending to at least five percent of the country's gross domestic product as recommended by the World Health Organization.

United Nationalist Alliance campaign communications director Joey Salgado said that Binay's proposal will allow the government to provide free medical treatment for serious illnesses that often require expensive treatments.

"It also replicates Makati’s globally-recognized Yellow Card health program that has significantly reduced out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare," Salgado said.

Salgado noted that a Binay administration will implement a program similar to the Yellow Card initiative of Makati to minimize health-related expenses by the people.

The Yellow Card program includes free maternal, child and elderly care, free outpatient consultations and medicines and government-subsidized hospitalization on top of PhilHealth benefits.

Binay's spokesperson added that the coverage and benefits under PhilHealth will be expanded.

"Vice President Binay's health agenda is anchored on the advocacy which states that nobody should die of untreated sickness due to poverty," Binay's spokesperson said.

Health care is of the issues expected to be tackled in the second round of the presidential debates at the University of the Philippines campus in Cebu City this afternoon. — Patricia Lourdes Viray

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